This longitudinal prospective study was designed to evaluate the effects of alcohol use during pregnancy on offspring health and development. 1529 women were interviewed during their 5th month of pregnancy regarding beverage and drug ingestion. A follow-up cohort of approximately 500 infants was examined on days 1 and 2 and at eight and eighteen months of age. Eleven papers are available on methodological issues and outcomes. Maternal alcohol use during early pregnancy, even at levels that could be considered social drinking, is significantly related to a variety of adverse offspring outcomes even after statistically adjusting for other factors such as smoking and caffeine use. These outcomes include decreased birthweight, birthlength and head circumference, decreased neonatal habituation, lower sucking pressure, and lower mental and motor scores at 8 months of age. Decreased operant conditioning in the neonate was related to heavier drinking and smoking. This present study is examining this follow-up cohort on a variety of cognitive, intellectual and motor tasks at age 4 years as well as on parameters of physical growth and morphogenesis.